Fisherman's Pie

Fisherman's Pie

A classic British family pie layered with poached salmon, smoked haddock and prawns in a creamy béchamel, finished with buttery mashed potato and a golden cheddar crust.

Prep

25 min

Cook

45 min

Total

70 min

Serves

4-6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) salmon fillet, skin on, boneless
• •300 g (10½ oz) smoked haddock fillet, undyed, skin on
• •200 g (7 oz) raw king prawns, peeled, tails removed
• •500 ml (2 cups) whole milk, for poaching
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •6 whole black peppercorns
• •900 g (2 lb) Maris Piper or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) double cream
• •50 g (3½ tbsp) unsalted butter, plus extra for the dish
• •40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour
• •1 whole small onion, thinly sliced
• •2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• •1 tbsp fresh chives, snipped
• •1 tsp Dijon mustard
• •1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• •120 g (1 cup) mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
• •10 g (2 tsp) butter, for the top
• •1 to taste (to taste) sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Place the salmon and haddock in a wide pan with the milk, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, then poach gently for 4-5 minutes, until the fish flakes easily and reads 63°C (145°F) on a probe. Lift out with a slotted spoon, discard skin and bones, and flake into large chunks. Pour the milk through a fine sieve into a jug and reserve.
2. 2 Add the prawns to the hot poaching milk and leave off the heat for 1-2 minutes until they turn pink and curl. Drain, cool slightly, and halve lengthwise.
3. 3 Boil the potatoes in well-salted water for 15-18 minutes until very tender. Drain well, return to the pan over low heat for 30 seconds to dry, then mash with 50 g butter and the cream. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
4. 4 Melt the remaining 50 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the reserved poaching milk and bring to a gentle simmer, whisking until you have a thick, silky béchamel. Simmer 2 minutes to cook out the flour.
5. 5 Off the heat, stir the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and chives into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently fold in the flaked fish and prawns.
6. 6 Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). Butter a 1.5-litre (6-cup) baking dish.
7. 7 Spoon the fish filling into the dish and smooth level. Top with the mashed potato, spreading to the edges and roughing up the surface with a fork.
8. 8 Scatter the grated cheddar over the top and dot with the 10 g butter.
9. 9 Bake on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is deep golden brown. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
10. 10 Serve with peas, buttered cabbage or a simple dressed green salad and a glass of cold dry cider.